The present invention relates generally to a conical rock crusher. More specifically, the present invention relates to a conical rock crusher, such as a conical cone or gyratory crusher, having a component to redirect oil from exiting the crusher thereby reducing oil loss.
Cone crushers generally include an eccentric assembly that rotates about a main shaft and imparts gyratory motion to a head assembly. Material to be crushed is loaded into a feed hopper that feeds into a bowl assembly. The material, generally rock, is crushed between a bowl liner disposed in the bowl assembly and a mantle on the crusher head assembly.
To crush rock between the head assembly and the bowl assembly, gyratory motion is imparted to the head assembly to alternately widen and narrow the gap between the head assembly and bowl assembly. The gyratory motion may be imparted via an eccentric that rotates with respect to a stationary shaft and directly imparts the eccentric motion to the head assembly. Alternatively, an eccentric assembly may be used to impart gyratory motion to a movable shaft, which in turn imparts gyratory motion to the head assembly. In either case, a frame supports the shaft and head assembly, and a countershaft or other driving mechanism is utilized to drive the eccentric assembly. These assemblies are continuously lubricated by a pumped lubrication system to prevent seizing of the rotating parts. The lubrication is retained within the assemblies by a system of seals located where each assembly is connected to the other.
Such cone crushers, especially such crushers that are large in size, have counterweights incorporated into their design that rotate in unison with the eccentric assembly. The shape of the counterweight is specifically designed to compensate for the mass eccentricity of the eccentric and head assembly so that the assembly of eccentric, counterweight and head assembly is balanced to produce no net horizontal forces on the foundation. This design of the counterweight results in one side of the counterweight (the side the eccentric does not favor) being thick and solid (the “heavy side”) while the other, “light”, side of the counterweight (the side the eccentric favors) having a thinner upper portion and a lower portion from which a floor extends in the direction of the eccentric. The floor has holes (also know as kidneys) on its upper side that may, but do not necessarily, extend through the thickness of the floor. The differing thicknesses in the sides of the counterweight also result in “transition ledges” in the area where the counterweight transitions from its heavy side to its light side.
During normal operation of the rock crusher, the counterweight rotates along with the eccentric and head assembly. It has been observed that this rotation results in substantial loss of lubricant through the seal systems and head assembly. It is one object of the present invention to reduce the loss of lubricant in a rock crusher.